Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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TITLE: STRUCTURE OF SPEED-CONTROLLABLE STIRRING
CONTAINER
(a) Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a structure of a stirring
container, and more particularly to a structure of a speed-controllable
stirring
container that enables stirring and temperature reduction of a substance (such
as liquid) received in the container and allows a user to readily control the
container for performing a continuous stirring operation.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Modem people are used to making or brewing a beverage, such as coffee,
milk, and tea. The general process is first depositing coffee powder or milk
powder into a container and the pouring hot water into the container, followed
by a step of stirring. To make the brewed beverage, such as coffee powder
and milk powder, completely dissolved in water, stiffing must be carried out
for a substantial period of time before complete dissolution in water can be
achieved. Further, after the beverage has been made, it is still hot for
drinking, so that further stiffing is necessary for lowering the temperature
of
the brewed beverage in order to make it fit to drinking.
Generally speaking, stirring is made by hand holding a stirring bar, which
can be for example a chopstick a rod bar, or even a spoon, and circling the
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stirring bar in the water. This requires a stirring bar to be prepared in
advance
and may also lead to a potential risk of burning a nearby person if the
application of force for stirring is inadequate to cause spoiling of the hot
brewed beverage. In addition, the user may sometimes feel tired and sore in
the hand holding the stirring bat Apparently, this way of stirring is
generally
inconvenient.
Techniques and structures associated with stirring of beverage are known
from for example Taiwan Utility Model No. M405243, which teaches using a
press-down device to drive a stirring bar to rotate in a containing chamber in
order to achieve an effect of stirring and mixing a powder-like substance and
a
liquid contained in the chamber. However, such a known device has at least
the following advantages:
(1) A stiffing bar arranged at a bottom of a cup is used to stir the
substance received in the cup. The stirring is simply an operation carried out
at the bottom of cup by the stirring bar and the cup itself is fixed and not
rotating. The result of stirring is thus very limited. A preferred way
includes simultaneous rotation of the cup in order to enhance the effect of
stirring.
(2) The rotation of the stirring bar is driven by a press-down device, a
rotating device, and a rack-gear based transmission structure. No one-way
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driving structure, such as one-way bearing, is arranged between the rotating
device and the stirring bar. Thus, after the press-down device has been
pressed down to cause the stirring bar to rotate, during the process when the
press-down device is moved by a spring force in an opposite direction to
return to the original condition, since the rotating device and the stirring
bar
are still in a mated condition, if the user attempts to take a further
pressing
action to make the stirring bar further rotating, then the direction of
driving so
made is exactly opposite to the direction in which the stirring bar is
rotating.
Consequently, a resisting force is induced and jamming may occur, making it
difficult to smoothly press down the press-down device thereby the speed of
the stirring bar being not controllable.
(3) As discussed in the above point (2), during the process when the
press-down device returns to the original condition, the stirring bar is also
caused to rotate in the opposite direction, so that the stirring bar cannot
keep
on rotating in the same direction.
(4) It would be difficult for the user to cleanse the stirring bar and dirt
and
contamination may be deposited therein.
Thus, the known technique and structure for stirring beverage are not
perfect and further improvement is desired.
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The present invention aims to provide a solution that realizes such an
improvement.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a speed-controllable
stirring container that enables stirring and temperature reduction of a
substance
received in the container and allows a user to readily control the container
for
5 performing a continuous stirring operation.
To achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a container,
a fixing base, a rotating device, an actuation member, and an elastic body,
wherein the container receives and holds therein a substance to be stirred;
the
fixing base carries and supports the container and comprises a receiving space
formed therein; the rotating device comprises a rotor rotatably arranged in
the
receiving space, wherein the rotor comprises a unidirectional rotation driving
member and a pinion, the unidirectional rotation driving member being
coupled to a bottom of the container to allow the rotor to drive the container
to
rotate unidirectionally; the actuation member extends into the fixing base and
is reciprocally movable, the actuation member comprising a rack, which
drives the pinion to rotate; and the elastic body is arranged in the receiving
space for position returning of the actuation member in the reciprocal
movement. As such, through the movement of the actuation member to
drive the container to rotate, effects of stirring and temperature reducing
can
be applied to the substance (such as liquid) received and held in the
container.
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Further, the actuation member can be readily and successively reciprocated so
as to keep the container continuously rotating thereby achieving convenient
and effective control of stirring speed of the container.
The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction
to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the
present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become
apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of
the
invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference
numerals refer to identical or similar parts.
Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become
manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed
description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred
structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is
shown by way of illustrative example.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG 1 is an exploded view showing a container and a fixing base
according to the present invention.
FIG 2 is an exploded view showing the present invention with the
container removed.
Figure 3 is an exploded view showing the fixing base according to the
present invention.
Figure 4 is a top view, in sectioned form, showing the fixing base
according to the present invention.
Figure 5 is a top view, in sectioned form, illustrating an operation of the
present invention.
Figure 6 is a perspective view illustrating an operation of the present
invention.
Figure 7 is a perspective view showing another preferred embodiment
according to the present invention.
Figure 8 is an exploded view showing said another preferred
embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 9 is a perspective view illustrating an operation of said another
preferred embodiment of the present invention.
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Figure 10 is a perspective view illustrating a blending member according
to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 11 is an exploded view showing a further embodiment of the
present invention.
Figure 12 is a top view, in sectioned form, showing a fixing base
according to said further embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 13 is a top view, in sectioned form, illustrating an operation of the
fixing base according to said further embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 14 is an exploded view showing a container and a rotary disk
comprising a different coupling structure according to the present invention.
Figure 15 is a perspective view showing a blending member according to
yet a further embodiment of the present invention.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not
intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention
in
any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration
for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various
changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and
arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the
invention as set forth in the appended claims.
Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 6, a preferred embodiment of the present
invention comprises a container 10, a fixing base 20, a rotating device 30, an
actuation member 40, and an elastic body 50. The actuation member 40 is
manually pullable to drive the container 10 to rotate, thereby achieving an
effect of stirring and temperature-reducing on a substance (such as liquid)
received in the container 10 and allowing a user to readily and successively
pull the actuation member 40 to cause the container 10 to continuously carry
out a stirring operation so as to conveniently and effectively control the
stirring
speed of the container 10.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the container 10 according to the present
invention is provided for receiving and containing a substance, such as one of
liquid, powder and solid or a combination thereof. The container 10 has an
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inside bottom on which at least one blending member 11, which is arranged in
projecting form and has a shape complying with fluid stirring engineering, is
provided for stirring the substance. The container 10 has an outside bottom
in which a plurality of fitting holes 12 is formed.
5 The container 10 further comprises a rotary disk 13. The rotary disk 13
has a surface on which a plurality of coupling pegs 131 is provided for
respectively coupling with the fitting holes 12 so as to realize easy
assembling
and disassembling of the container 10 and the rotary disk 13, which allows
replacement and interchange of different containers 10. The rotary disk 13 is
10 provided, on an underside thereof, with an axle 132.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the fixing base 20 according to the present
invention is provided for carrying and supporting the container 10. The
fixing base 20 comprises a casing 21 and a bottom board 22 and has an
internal receiving space formed therein. The bottom board 22 is provided
with a hand-holding section 221 which a hand can hold.
Referring to Figures 2, 3, and 4, the rotating device 30 according to the
present invention comprise a rotor 31 that is rotatably arranged in the
receiving
space of the fixing base 20 and a toothed wheel unit 32. The rotor 31 is
rotatably mounted to a positioning bar 222 mounted on the bottom board 22.
The rotor 31 comprises a unidirectional rotation driving member 311, such as
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a one-way bearing, set at an upper portion thereof. The rotor 31 comprises a
pinion 312 arranged at a lower portion thereof. The unidirectional rotation
driving member 311 is coupled to the axle 132 of the rotary disk 13 so that
the
rotor 31 may drive the rotary disk 13 and the container 10 to rotate
unidirectionally.
The toothed wheel unit 32 comprises a toothed disk 321 at a top side
thereof and a transmission gear 322 at a lower side thereof. The toothed disk
321 is engageable with and drives the pinion 312.
The actuation member 40 extends into the fixing base 20 and is guided
by a plurality of guide sections 223 mounted on the bottom board 22 to take
reciprocal movement. The actuation member 40 comprises a rack 41. The
rack 41 is engageable with and drives the transmission gear 322. The
actuation member 40 has an end that is exposed outside and comprises a
handle 42 to be hand-held for pulling and pushing.
In a different embodiment, if it is not necessary for the actuation member
40 and the rotor 31 to have a high rotational speed ratio or if it is desired
to
simplify the structure, the toothed wheel unit 32 can be omitted and the rack
41 is set to directly mate and drive the pinion 312.
The elastic body 50 is received in the receiving space of the fodrig base
20. The elastic body 50 is an extension spring in the instant embodiment.
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An end of the elastic body 50 is fixed to the bottom board 22 and an opposite
end fixed to the actuation member 40. The elastic body 50 provides a spring
force when the actuation member 40 is pulled to move outward, in order to
help return the actuation member 40.
Referring to Figures 5 and 6, to operate the present invention, a substance
to be stirred, such as a liquid, is first deposited in the container 10 and
the
actuation member 40 is pulled by a hand to have the rack 41 moved so as to
drive the transmission gear 322 to rotate, then the toothed disk 321 and the
pinion 312 are sequentially caused to rotate and finally, the rotor 31 rotates
to
drive the axle 132, together with the rotary disk 13 and the container 10, to
rotate. With the blending member 11 arranged inside the container 10, an
effect of stirring and temperature reducing can be caused on the substance
(such as liquid) inside the container 10.
Further, during the process when the actuation member 40 is moved by
the spring force in an opposite direction to return back to the original
condition
(namely extending deeply into the interior of the fixing base 20) after the
actuation member 40 is pulled to cause the container 10 to rotate, due to the
unidirectional rotation driving member 311 arranged between the rotor 31 and
the axle 132, transmission is no longer maintained between the rotor 31 and
the axle 132 and no resistance would be induced. The user can easily and
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successively pull and make reciprocal motion of the actuation member 40,
keeping the container 10 continuously rotating thereby achieving a convenient
and effective control of the stirring speed of the container 10.
Further, during the process when the actuation member 40 is returning
back to the original condition (namely extending deeply into the interior of
the
fixing base 200, the axle 132 is not driven to rotate in the opposite
direction so
that the container 10 can keep rotating in the same direction.
Referring to Figures 7, 8, and 9, another preferred embodiment of the
present invention is constructed such that the casing 21 of the fixing base 20
is
provided with a circumferential wall 211 that extends upward to a
predetermined height to properly surround the container 10. Further, the
hand-holding section 221 is also extended upward properly for facilitating
hand holding. In the instant embodiment, the container 10 is not coupled
with a rotary disk 13. The container 10 comprises an axle 101 that is
mounted to an outside bottom of the container for direct coupling with the
rotor 31. The container 10 is provided, at the top side thereof, with a flange
102 that covers a top end of the circumferential wall 211 and does not affect
the rotation of the container 10. In this way, the container 10 can equally do
continuous rotation for achieving an effect of stining and temperature
reducing on a substance contained in the container 10. A container that has
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an integral aesthetic configuration and complies with human engineering is
obtained.
Referring to Figure 10, the blending member 11 of the container 10
according to the present invention can be of a specific configuration, such as
the shape of Taiwan island, to additional provide an effect of advertisement
and promotion.
Referring to Figures 11, 12, and 13, a further preferred embodiment of
the present invention is constructed so that the container 10 can be caused to
rotate by pushing the actuation member 40, rather than pulling, wherein the
actuation member 40 is received into the fixing base 20 from an opposite
direction and the elastic body 50 is arranged to provide a spring force after
the
actuation member 40 is pushed inward, in order to help position retuning of
the actuation member 40.
Referring to Figure 14, the container 10 and the rotary disk 13 according
to the present invention are provided therebetween with another coupling
structure, wherein the container 10 is provided, on the outside bottom thereof
with a projecting portion 14 having a predetermined shape and the rotary disk
13 is provided, on a surface thereof, with a plurality of recessed portions
133
corresponding in shape to the projecting portion 14 for receiving the
projecting
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portion 14 to fit therein so as make assembling and dissembling of the
container 10 and the rotary disk 13 easy.
Referring to Figure 15, the blending member 11 of the container 10
according to the present invention is made in the form of curved ribs and a
5 number of such ribs is arranged on an inner circumferential surface of
the
container 10 to allow the blending member 11 to provide an helical stirring
effect to thereby enhance the effects of stiffing and temperature reducing.
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or
more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods
10 differing from the type described above.
While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and
described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be
limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various
omissions,
modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the
device
15 illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art
without
departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
